Matsumae Domain

The Matsumae Domain was a feudal domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan that was loyal to the shogun.

History
The Matsumae clan was a Hokkaido Japanese clan placed in Hokkaido by Hideyoshi Hashiba, who wanted a buffer between the Toyotomi Shogunate and the Ainu barbarians of the north. They were descended from the Takeda and were open to trade with the Russian Empire, and in 1778 they opened up Japan to European and foreign trade.

Loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate, they fought for the Shogun during the Boshin War.